Off road suspension or air suspension

[th3duke]

The HD Rams use a different setup. It's strictly a load/level assist. Your average HD doesn't have problems with air assist, because that's all it is, assist/level... the overall ride quality isn't dependent on it working.

Try taking an off ramp at 60mph and the front and rear drivers suspension hits the bumpstops, with your wife and two small children in the truck. I'm not the only one according to the Transport Canada complaints against FCA.

That's the difference.

I wouldn't wish that on anybody that's for sure. I have a grandson (figured out a way to play Paw Patrol this week on the Uconnect 8.4 for him ), and we take him everywhere in the truck (in the next couple weeks it'll be Xmas parades, etc...). Hopefully FCA has got their stuff in order for sure...

 

[ChadT]

I wouldn't wish that on anybody that's for sure. I have a grandson (figured out a way to play Paw Patrol this week on the Uconnect 8.4 for him ), and we take him everywhere in the truck (in the next couple weeks it'll be Xmas parades, etc...). Hopefully FCA has got their stuff in order for sure...

I hope so!

Cold weather fears aside, air suspension levelled great with heavy loads.
I can only wonder why/how gen2 seems stiffer?
Does it need to break in?

 

[th3duke]

I hope so!

Cold weather fears aside, air suspension levelled great with heavy loads.
I can only wonder why/how gen2 seems stiffer?
Does it need to break in?

It definitely breaks-in (based on my experience with the other truck). Although I would assume the stiffer ride may be because of increased payload capabilities. The stiffness is definitely more noticeable than my previous gen, that's for sure.

In the previous gen (my 2015) I once loaded a full skid of 30kg (~ 65lbs a bag) of cement in the back of my 2015 Ram (it was a skid (40 bags I think) + a few extra bags), and the truck took it like a champ (of course the overloaded light came on), but I was very impressed with it's capabilities. The forklift guy at Home Depot was concerned when I asked him to put it all in the back of my truck - as he indicated some Fords would squat quite a bit; but you should have seen the smile on my face when the truck was load leveling - that's of course until the overload light came one - then, it was maxed out - I don't recall if it hit the bump stops, but that load was definitely too heavy for my truck.

I garden a lot, and we live on a private road, so I often have to get a cubic yard of material (crush stone, sand, etc...). I believe that weighs in the neighborhood of 1200 lbs and never had a problem with those normal loads.

Also pulling my boat (21 footer deck boat with a 115 outboard), and my landscaping trailer (with Kubota ~ 5000 lbs), with the air ride it is just awesome with the load leveling as it really feels safe...

Anyway I really hope that this one will be as good as my last (if not better), but I'll be able to really determine it's capabilities and compare only next spring unfortunately.

 

[Neurobit]

It definitely breaks-in (based on my experience with the other truck). Although I would assume the stiffer ride may be because of increased payload capabilities. The stiffness is definitely more noticeable than my previous gen, that's for sure.

In the previous gen (my 2015) I once loaded a full skid of 30kg (~ 65lbs a bag) of cement in the back of my 2015 Ram (it was a skid (40 bags I think) + a few extra bags), and the truck took it like a champ (of course the overloaded light came on), but I was very impressed with it's capabilities. The forklift guy at Home Depot was concerned when I asked him to put it all in the back of my truck - as he indicated some Fords would squat quite a bit; but you should have seen the smile on my face when the truck was load leveling - that's of course until the overload light came one - then, it was maxed out - I don't recall if it hit the bump stops, but that load was definitely too heavy for my truck.

I garden a lot, and we live on a private road, so I often have to get a cubic yard of material (crush stone, sand, etc...). I believe that weighs in the neighborhood of 1200 lbs and never had a problem with those normal loads.

Also pulling my boat (21 footer deck boat with a 115 outboard), and my landscaping trailer (with Kubota ~ 5000 lbs), with the air ride it is just awesome with the load leveling as it really feels safe...

Anyway I really hope that this one will be as good as my last (if not better), but I'll be able to really determine it's capabilities and compare only next spring unfortunately.

Agree. Here’s mine a couple of weeks ago with almost 1,000 lbs worth of mulch.
Totally level. Awesome!

 

[ChadT]

Agree. Here’s mine a couple of weeks ago with almost 1,000 lbs worth of mulch.
Totally level. Awesome!

View attachment 8111 View attachment 8112 View attachment 8114

It definitely breaks-in (based on my experience with the other truck). Although I would assume the stiffer ride may be because of increased payload capabilities. The stiffness is definitely more noticeable than my previous gen, that's for sure.

In the previous gen (my 2015) I once loaded a full skid of 30kg (~ 65lbs a bag) of cement in the back of my 2015 Ram (it was a skid (40 bags I think) + a few extra bags), and the truck took it like a champ (of course the overloaded light came on), but I was very impressed with it's capabilities. The forklift guy at Home Depot was concerned when I asked him to put it all in the back of my truck - as he indicated some Fords would squat quite a bit; but you should have seen the smile on my face when the truck was load leveling - that's of course until the overload light came one - then, it was maxed out - I don't recall if it hit the bump stops, but that load was definitely too heavy for my truck.

I garden a lot, and we live on a private road, so I often have to get a cubic yard of material (crush stone, sand, etc...). I believe that weighs in the neighborhood of 1200 lbs and never had a problem with those normal loads.

Also pulling my boat (21 footer deck boat with a 115 outboard), and my landscaping trailer (with Kubota ~ 5000 lbs), with the air ride it is just awesome with the load leveling as it really feels safe...

Anyway I really hope that this one will be as good as my last (if not better), but I'll be able to really determine it's capabilities and compare only next spring unfortunately.

Interesting
And this mirrors the experience i have on my 4th gen rebel.
The levelling is awesome.
Aero on the highway is pretty cool too.
I wonder how the springs level/handle loads?
I'll be happy of they're 90% of what the air suspension is up to 1000lbs.
After that I expect them to separate performance wise

See on my 5th gen I've gone spring.
Ease of lifting it in the future was a biggy, I did have a cold weather concern (mine got sticky in the cold), and additional GVWR option weight left over..
You know, for the totally 100% necessary stuff I would absolutely need like a lightbar, tires, lift etc

Goal with this truck was lower cost, system complexity, less option weight.

 

[Limbeck]

FYI....the Off Road Package is available on the Air Suspension but isn't required. The Air Ride with ORP gets beefier shocks and the 1" lift just like the Spring truck with ORP. The AS with ORP has 4 heights vs 5 for the non-ORP trucks.

As far as long term reliability, nothing beats springs. My Jeep Grand Cherokee's Air Suspension ran 5 years with no issues or signs of wear....but I live in TN. It saw 5°F several times but not for days on end. We do stay below freezing for several weeks at a time. Nothing like up North though. The ice is brutal and builds up under the chassis since it's real slushy down here where the ground rarely freezes hard.

Hey so what are the 4 heights? Entry/Exit, Aero, Normal, and Off road? So the truck only goes up an inch the higher suspension option or two inches like the 5 option AS trucks?

 

[ChadT]

Hey so what are the 4 heights? Entry/Exit, Aero, Normal, and Off road? So the truck only goes up an inch the higher suspension option or two inches like the 5 option AS trucks?

Here's my understanding of it, pardon if inexact

On a Springs vehicle you get 1 setting:
- Setting 1, setting only.

Regular Air suspension:
- Entry/Exit, down to the bumpstops
- Aero Mode (-1 inch from normal mode)
- Normal mode
- Offroad 1 (+1 inch from normal)
- Offroad 2 (+2 inches from normal)

Offroad and Rebel Air Suspension:
- Entry/exit, down to the bumpstops
- Aero Mode (-1.5 inches from normal mode in this truck's settings.)
- Normal Mode (This is already +1 inch vs the normal mode on the regular air suspension))
- Offroad Mode (this is +2inches from normal)

That's my understanding ^
I know on the Gen4 Rebel, offroad mode only works 25mph and under.

 

[Limbeck]

Here's my understanding of it, pardon if inexact

On a Springs vehicle you get 1 setting:
- Setting 1, setting only.

Regular Air suspension:
- Entry/Exit, down to the bumpstops
- Aero Mode (-1 inch from normal mode)
- Normal mode
- Offroad 1 (+1 inch from normal)
- Offroad 2 (+2 inches from normal)

Offroad and Rebel Air Suspension:
- Entry/exit, down to the bumpstops
- Aero Mode (-1.5 inches from normal mode in this truck's settings.)
- Normal Mode (This is already +1 inch vs the normal mode on the regular air suspension))
- Offroad Mode (this is +2inches from normal)

That's my understanding ^
I know on the Gen4 Rebel, offroad mode only works 25mph and under.

Got it. Thanks for clarifying. I’m gonna use those after market air suspension links to try and level it so that’ll be a perfect look I think! It may not be perfectly level with less play but I will mess with it and see what happens I guess.

 

[th3duke]

Hey so what are the 4 heights? Entry/Exit, Aero, Normal, and Off road? So the truck only goes up an inch the higher suspension option or two inches like the 5 option AS trucks?

Only 1 inch, since it's already 1 inch higher.

Hey so what are the 4 heights? Entry/Exit, Aero, Normal, and Off road? So the truck only goes up an inch the higher suspension option or two inches like the 5 option AS trucks?

That's correct, it's one inch higher in off-road mode, as it already sits 1 inch higher.

Here's my understanding of it, pardon if inexact

On a Springs vehicle you get 1 setting:
- Setting 1, setting only.

Regular Air suspension:
- Entry/Exit, down to the bumpstops
- Aero Mode (-1 inch from normal mode)
- Normal mode
- Offroad 1 (+1 inch from normal)
- Offroad 2 (+2 inches from normal)

Offroad and Rebel Air Suspension:
- Entry/exit, down to the bumpstops
- Aero Mode (-1.5 inches from normal mode in this truck's settings.)
- Normal Mode (This is already +1 inch vs the normal mode on the regular air suspension))
- Offroad Mode (this is +2inches from normal)

That's my understanding ^
I know on the Gen4 Rebel, offroad mode only works 25mph and under.

I'll have to double check a few things:

I don't think that your Entry mode hits bump stops.
Areo mode doesn't go down much, I believe it is .6 of an inch lower than NRH.
I will also have to measure for Offroad 2 - I just thought it was 1 inch.

 

[th3duke]

I haven’t driven a truck with the off-road group yet, but from what others had said here it is a little stiffer than the normal suspension - but definitely not anywhere near as stiff as a 3/4 ton truck.

It's very slight in terms of stiffness. A Ram 3/4 rides better than a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 - based on my experience. The GMC feels like the suspension hasn't changed in at least 30 years.

 

[Edwards]

Here's my understanding of it, pardon if inexact

On a Springs vehicle you get 1 setting:
- Setting 1, setting only.

Regular Air suspension:
- Entry/Exit, down to the bumpstops
- Aero Mode (-1 inch from normal mode)
- Normal mode
- Offroad 1 (+1 inch from normal)
- Offroad 2 (+2 inches from normal)

Offroad and Rebel Air Suspension:
- Entry/exit, down to the bumpstops
- Aero Mode (-1.5 inches from normal mode in this truck's settings.)
- Normal Mode (This is already +1 inch vs the normal mode on the regular air suspension))
- Offroad Mode (this is +2inches from normal)

That's my understanding ^
I know on the Gen4 Rebel, offroad mode only works 25mph and under.

A few corrections on ORP with Air:

• Aero mode is .6" lower than Normal (not much. If I could get that extra 1" drop in Aero I'd be totally happy!)
• OR is 1" higher than Normal (since ORP Normal is already at non-ORP OR1 height).

Whether you get the ORP or not, the air suspension has 4" total travel from E/E to highest position. Also, adding ORP does not change your min/max heights between them. I.e. a non-ORP Limited next to an ORP Limited will sit identically at E/E or max height. It's just the stops in between that change.

 

[Edwards]

Only 1 inch, since it's already 1 inch higher.


That's correct, it's one inch higher in off-road mode, as it already sits 1 inch higher.



I'll have to double check a few things:

I don't think that your Entry mode hits bump stops.
Areo mode doesn't go down much, I believe it is .6 of an inch lower than NRH.
I will also have to measure for Offroad 2 - I just thought it was 1 inch.

I can confirm that E/E is on the bump stops. The one time mine didn't raise automatically from a cold start in E/E, I was driving 45-50 down the road in E/E and it was bone jarring. Definitely not a solution for anyone!

 

[Limbeck]

A few corrections on ORP with Air:

• Aero mode is .6" lower than Normal (not much. If I could get that extra 1" drop in Aero I'd be totally happy!)
• OR is 1" higher than Normal (since ORP Normal is already at non-ORP OR1 height).

Whether you get the ORP or not, the air suspension has 4" total travel from E/E to highest position. Also, adding ORP does not change your min/max heights between them. I.e. a non-ORP Limited next to an ORP Limited will sit identically at E/E or max height. It's just the stops in between that change.

Interesting. That was the only reason I would get it if it would sit at a higher max but if that’s the case I’ll probably just remove it from my order. I don’t plan on taking it anywhere where I’ll need to use those skid plates or anything crazy off road because I have a RZR Turbo for that and from what people have said the ride quality is effected in a negative way with the ORP? Is there another benefit to the ORP I just don’t know about?

 

[Edwards]

Interesting. That was the only reason I would get it if it would sit at a higher max but if that’s the case I’ll probably just remove it from my order. I don’t plan on taking it anywhere where I’ll need to use those skid plates or anything crazy off road because I have a RZR Turbo for that and from what people have said the ride quality is effected in a negative way with the ORP? Is there another benefit to the ORP I just don’t know about?

Technically the ride is negatively affected but that difference is very small. You'd have to drive two models back to back to really feel it.
You can get the skid plates and tires separately so the only things that the ORP gives you you can't get otherwise are:

• increased ride height
• HD shocks
• Full size spare (18" Al wheel)
• nifty ORP stickers on bed of truck
• Hill Descent Control (actually very cool - let computer drive you down steep grades between selectable 1-5 MPH)

I think that's it...

 

[th3duke]

It's very slight in terms of stiffness, but it can't be compared to a 3/4 or a GMC Sierra 1500 (now that truck's suspension feels like it hasn't changed in at least 30 years).

from what people have said the ride quality is effected in a negative way with the ORP? Is there another benefit to the ORP I just don’t know about?

Technically the ride is negatively affected but that difference is very small. You'd have to drive two models back to back to really feel it.
You can get the skid plates and tires separately so the only things that the ORP gives you you can't get otherwise are:

• increased ride height
• HD shocks
• Full size spare (18" Al wheel)
• nifty ORP stickers on bed of truck
• Hill Descent Control (actually very cool - let computer drive you down steep grades between selectable 1-5 MPH)

I think that's it...

All I can say is there's a night and day difference between the stiffness of the air ride between the 15' and 19' - 19' being quite a bit stiffer in my experience (but in a good way).

 

[Neurobit]

All I can say is there's a night and day difference between the stiffness of the air ride between the 15' and 19' - 19' being quite a bit stiffer in my experience (but in a good way).

Good to know. I would imagine more body roll on the earlier gens, correct?

 

[th3duke]

Oh yes... But now thinking back; I'm starting to wonder if it wasn't just the Ecodiesel that made it ride softer (that motor was quite heavy).

 

[Neurobit]

Oh yes... But now thinking back; I'm starting to wonder if it wasn't just the Ecodiesel that made it ride softer (that motor was quite heavy).

I don't think so. I've heard a few other folks here say the same thing.

 

[ptrnfan]

Thank you so much for your reply. Do you know if the off road suspension is smooth or really bumpy like a gmc sierra 2500 HD?

I have the ORP with coil springs and, I know it's subjective, I think it is smoother than the 2017 RAM 1500 4X2 it replaced. I wouldn't hesitate to get it again.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

The chassis is much stiffer on the 19's. Look at the crash safety videos....impressive. This gives a very different feel. It may seem more "thumpy" on small bumps and uneven roads where the chassis flex absorbed and isolated this more on previous gens.

I like the ride on my new 4WD Air / ORP truck.